Boy walking to Las Vegas school struck by DUI suspect

A 12-year-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries after he was hit by a DUI suspect while walking to school on Friday morning, according to police.

The crash occurred just before 7:40 a.m. near 21st Street and Owens Avenue, located between Rancho High School and Smith Middle School.

Late Friday afternoon, the Metropolitan Police Department identified OH’ Ryan Brooks, 27, as the driver in the hit-and-run. Police, in a news release, said Brooks was driving a 2019 Mitsubishi SUV.

After fleeing the scene, Brooks was later located at an area apartment complex and arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and hit-and-run, police said.

The intersection, located at the northeast corner of Rancho’s campus, features crosswalks but lacks other pedestrian safety controls.

During a news conference, Metropolitan Police Department Deputy Chief Jose Hernandez said Friday that the boy had started crossing Owens Avenue and was just a few steps from the sidewalk when he was hit by the vehicle and thrown into a fence.

The boy was taken to a hospital. As of Friday afternoon, the boy had life-threatening injuries, police said.

A Metro public information officer confirmed that the 12-year-old was a student at Smith Middle School.

“Our hearts go out to (the boy’s) family, and we wish for a speedy recovery,” Hernandez said. “I think most importantly, I want everybody to understand these incidents are becoming all too often. … We are taking this as a priority, and we have a zero tolerance approach to unsafe driving.”

Reaction from school

Shortly before 2 p.m. on Friday — the school day ends just after 2 p.m. at Smith Middle School — Jerome Davis, a crossing guard, worked to manage traffic at the intersection of McDaniel Street and Tonopah Avenue, just outside the school.

He said that he heard about the 12-year-old being struck and that being a pedestrian in the area can often be dangerous.

“You see things every day here,” Davis said. “People run stop signs. When all the parents start to come, it gets dangerous.”

Davis said that the painted white crosswalk strips at the intersection were faded and barely recognizable. He said a fresh paint job would probably help, but that drivers often fail to obey the rules of the road no matter what markings or flashing lights might be visible.

“I’ve almost been hit several times out here,” Davis said. “We need to do better. On my corner, I worry about my life every day. When I have to turn my back in a certain direction, I don’t want to get hit.”

At Friday’s news conference, Hernandez said drivers who are speeding, not paying attention or running red lights “will be stopped and cited.”

“If you flee from the scene of an accident, we will find you and we will hold you accountable,” Hernandez said.

‘People are in a rush all the time’

As he sat in his truck, which was parked along Tonopah Avenue, Smith Middle School parent Saul Galeno agreed that drivers in the general area of the school seem to take too many chances.

“It’s always the young adult drivers that I see doing it,” Galeno said. “People are in a rush all the time. I don’t like to be in a rush like that, so I get here early.”

Across the street from Smith Middle School sits C.P. Squires Elementary School. That’s where Alex Correa’s 6-year-old granddaughter goes.

Correa, as he does every school day, was standing along Tonopah Avenue outside the school waiting to pick her up Friday afternoon. Just a little bit before 2 p.m. on Friday, Correa said he witnessed a driver blow through a stop sign.

“He didn’t even slow down,” Correa said. “I do this for her safety. I want to be with her, holding her hand, when she crosses the streets here. There’s a lot of people you have to watch out for.”

Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com. Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.